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Vintages - Europe: The fine-wine countdown

 

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Feature Story

Is it any wonder so many of the world’s greatest wines come from Europe? After all, that’s where the very concept of great winemaking took root. From the finest of France to the most illustrious of Italy and most splendid of Spain, we’ve collected 19 wines from eight quintessential European regions.


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Bordeaux: Masters of the blend

The origin point of fine-wine blending and ground zero for international wine collectors, Bordeaux produces more premium wines than anywhere else in the world. The poet Ausonius name-dropped the wines of Bordeaux as early as 379 CE, and in 12th-century England, “claret” was the favoured wine of royalty and nobles. Through the art of the blend – typically using a palette of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – the Bordelais create masterworks of complexity, nuance and structure.

Claim to fame: Stately, complex red blends
Key grapes: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Worth exploring if you like: Cabernet or blends from Napa, Sonoma, British Columbia or Chile


Burgundy: Grounded in terroir

The concept of terroir was born in Burgundy. Much of the region’s 2,000 years of wine history was shaped by medieval monks who believed that wine, being an expression of the land, is an expression of the divine. In the late Middle Ages, Burgundy was the wine of popes and dukes. Today, the vineyards of Burgundy are still held in reverence and its wines are viewed, almost exclusively through the lenses of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as faithful reflections of place.

Claim to fame: Elegant, expressive reds and whites
Key grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Worth exploring if you like: Pinot and Chardonnay from Ontario
or Oregon


Loire Valley: Land of hidden gems

Picturesque and pastoral, the “garden of France” is defined by the longest French river: the mighty Loire, whose banks have been rich with vineyards since the 11th century. As it winds its way westward from the Massif Central to the sea, the Loire flows through a plethora of soil types planted with a diversity of vines, with the most famous of these being the varietal archetypes of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. The wines of the Loire are highly prized locally and in Paris yet continue to keep a relatively low profile beyond French borders.

Claim to fame: Vibrant white wines
Key grapes: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc
Worth exploring if you like: Chenin Blanc from South Africa;  Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand


Rhône Valley: Famous for big, impactful reds

Winemaking in the Rhône Valley has taken place since at least 71 CE, when the region’s wines were praised by Pliny the Elder. The Rhône River flows north to south, with its cool, hilly upper reaches famed for varietal Syrah and its sunny, warm, windswept middle and Mediterranean delta given to blends built around Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The most prestigious of these blends – and the prototype for many of the warm-climate blended wines of the New World – come from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Claim to fame: Big, bold reds
Key grapes: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre
Worth exploring if you like: Red blends from Australia, California or Washington


Piedmont: Magic in the mountain foothills

This subalpine region has been the site of winemaking since at least the 14th century and perhaps much longer. Nearly encircled by mountains, Piedmont specializes in remarkably long-lived red wines from the Nebbiolo variety of Barolo and Barbaresco fame, while the most famous white wines are made in Gavi from the Cortese variety. Much like that of Burgundy in France, Piedmont’s winemaking tradition grew around a love of the land and a reverence for terroir.

Claim to fame: Structured, long-lived reds
Key grapes: Nebbiolo
Worth exploring if you like: Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley;
Malbec from Argentina


Tuscany: The heart and soul of Italy

The cradle of Italy’s language, literature and art, Tuscany is equally renowned for its wines. Viniculture has taken place in Tuscany since at least the 12th century, and quite possibly as far back as the Etruscans in ancient times. The most renowned wines of the region, including Brunello and Chianti, are made from the local Sangiovese variety and are some of the most elegant, food-friendly red wines to be found anywhere.

Claim to fame:  Elegant, food-friendly reds
Key grapes: Sangiovese
Worth exploring if you like: Gamay or Pinot Noir from Ontario


Veneto: Cradle of the appassimento method

Quite possibly the Italian wine region best known for its red blends, Veneto is even better known for pioneering winemaking techniques using dried grapes – particularly the local Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella varieties. Although evidence suggests that wine, including sweet wine from raisined grapes, has been made in Veneto since the Bronze Age, its modern wine era began in the 19th century with the founding of Italy’s first oenology school. By the 1950s, Veneto’s vintners had perfected the art of making dry wines with dried grapes.

Claim to fame: Rich, layered reds using dried grapes
Key grapes: Corvina, Molinara, Rondinella
Worth exploring if you like: Appassimento red blends from Ontario


Rioja: Titan of Spanish winemaking

Viticulture in the Rioja region on the banks of the Ebro River dates to Roman times, but it was in the 18th century that travelling Spanish winemakers, inspired by the wines of Bordeaux, introduced oak barrels to Rioja and redefined the region’s wines. Oak maturation became so important that age statements (Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, from least to longest aged) became an official part of wine nomenclature. The finest red wines of Rioja are based on the Tempranillo variety, whose earthy and woodsy notes are enhanced by oak ageing.

Claim to fame: Oak-aged red wines
Key grapes: Tempranillo
Worth exploring if you like: Malbec from Argentina; Carmenère from Chile


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